Fall restraint equipment is used to enhance safety and convenience to personnel climbing a sloped roof during construction or inspection for damage. The danger of falls from such structures has been recognized, and a number of federal, state and local regulations require a safety system to be used when working on a roof.
Various kinds of conventional fall restraint equipment are available. Examples include nailing support plates into the roof, erecting overhead cables, lines and/or support pieces, or attaching scaffolds and railings. These techniques/devices, generally used during the installation of a roof or roof related materials, are not intended to be used for inspection of finished roofs where affixation of the equipment to the roof may damage the roof or leave noticeable and potentially dangerous marks, blemishes, scratches and the like.
Moreover, such equipment is unsuitable for inspections because the equipment is typically heavy, expensive and time consuming for installation. Conventional equipment is additionally unsuitable for mounting to a finished roof as the equipment may destroy the water-tight integrity nature of the roof.
I am aware of no prior art devices that can restrain a roof climber without attaching the device to the structure with nails or other fasteners that require customization or conditioning of a standard rooftop. I furthermore am aware of no prior art devices that have the ability to simultaneously base or support a ladder against the roof. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,597 to Babcock relates to a safety line anchoring device with layered fastening straps nailed through the lower shingle, thus leaving the top shingle unpunctured. U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,944 to Woodyard relates to a roof mounted anchor used in a fall restraint system. The anchor uses wooden screw fasteners to mount the anchor to the roof top. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,558 to Thornton et. al. relates to a safety line anchor mounted on roof. The legs of the anchor are secured to the roof by lag screws. All of these prior art methods require screws to be inserted in the roof top to secure the anchoring device thereto, raising or causing significant problems as discussed above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,935 to Gustavus and U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,023 to McCafferty both relate to platforms for use on a roof ladder. No mechanism disclosed therein is utilized with a fall restraint system, and neither of these patents relate to affixing or biasing regular ladders to the roof top while also providing a fall restraint system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,949 to Crocker et. al. relates to a motion-stopping system for roof workers. The system uses bolts to threadedly engage in holes to grip the structural members by tightening the bolts. The system requires preconditioned areas of the roof for attachment with the gripping anchor.
I have realized that it is desirable to provide a fall protection or restraint system for use in climbing sloped, finished roofs and the like, without requiring conditioning of the roof top. I have also realized that such a fall restraint system is needed that does not require affixation to the roof using screws, bolts and the like that may cause damage thereto.
I have further determined that a fall restraint system is needed that prevents or restrains a roof top climber from falling while simultaneously biases or affixes a regular ladder to the structure so that the climber can descend from the roof top safely.
I have further discovered that it is desirable and beneficial to design a fall restraint system that is used in conjunction with ladders. More specifically, I have discovered that ladders may be adapted to be more securely affixed or attached to the structure.
I have further discovered a design for the fall restraint system that is convenient and portable.